BELT – Nearly a dozen old-timer Montana bull riders came out of retirement Saturday in Belt for one more shot at eight seconds of glory.

No re-rides were requested.

But that doesn't mean the event, a prequel to the 10th annual PBR Dusty Gliko Bull Riding Challenge, didn't offer plenty of spills and thrills.

Afterward, about 2,000 fans packed the Belt Rodeo Grounds for the main event, which was won by Cody Ford of Stanford, Ore. Second place went to Parker Breding of Edgar, a two-time National Finals Rodeo cowboy.

A total of 35 young athletes competed in the PBR-sanctioned Gliko Challenge Saturday night. The top 10 in the first round returned for the championship go-round. Ford earned scores of 84 and 87.5 points, while Breding earned 82 and 88.5.

The Legends Challenge, an idea that Jeff Marn and other members of the Gliko Challenge committee patterned after the PBR's similar event, called "Unfinished Business," was a crowd-pleaser. Perhaps 1,200 fans were in the stands prior to the PBR event's 6 p.m. start to watch the legendary performers get on one for old time's sake.

"That was a pretty cool deal, bringing us old guys in," said Richard Bird of Cut Bank.

Bird earned a state championship in high school and won a title at the National Indian High School Finals. He won the average once at the Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals. And on Saturday, the 38-year-old bull rider proved he still had it with an 80-point ride that topped the Legends.

Bob Voegel has been helping organize the Gliko Bull Riding ever since it started. This is the first time for the Legends event.

"Just watching these guys, it was like memory lane," said Voegel, a former star bull rider himself. "Every one of them really put their heart into it and tried hard. I'm proud of them guys. It was really exciting to watch that. There's nothing changed with them. It's still that cowboy mentality."

If the Challenge featured bull riders in their prime, the legends competition showcased superstars from the past. All were champions, either in the Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit or the Northern Rodeo Association, and all were apparently anxious to get back aboard a bucking bull.

Even if their gear didn't quite fit.

"Mine was a little tight, I'll tell you that," said Bird .

Bird had good reason to be in a good mood after posting an 80-point ride. He won the Legends championship in a performance that shouldn't have surprised any Treasure State rodeo fans.

Bird's cousin, Dustin Bird, is one of the top team ropers in the world and his father, Dale, is a former Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit champion in bull riding. Richard's uncle, Sam Bird, and another cousin, Spike Guardipee, are two of the top ropers in Montana rodeo history.